[Bug 41373] High basal cpu load on 686 but not 386 kernel

[Harm van Bakel]

Public bug reported:

Affects: linux-source-2.6.15 (Ubuntu)
       Severity: Normal
       Priority: (none set)
         Status: Unconfirmed


Description:
When running the latest 686 kernel (v20 or v21, haven't tried earlier
versions) I noticed that the cpu load was very high, typically 20-30%
without top showing any process that could be responsible for this. This
high cpu load caused some noticable performance problems, especially in
keyboard responsiveness. Keyboard repeat became very sluggish and
kscreensaver showed lots of stuttering. After rebooting with the 386
kernel I don't see any problem anymore, so this seems to be specific for
the 686 kernel.

A screenshot of top, showing high system load without any process
showing much cpu usage, and additional information can be found in the
following thread: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=165742

I'm running kubuntu on a Dell Latitude D810 (though the problem is not
linked to either kde/gnome, since the performance problems are also
evident in console mode when X is not started).

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High basal cpu load on 686 but not 386 kernel
https://launchpad.net/bugs/41373